Ffilm Cymru Wales invests in Welsh film audiences

Ffilm Cymru Wales’ latest round of Audience Access awards will continue to support Welsh venues and festivals to provide a dynamic and diverse variety of cinematic experiences for people right across Wales.

For the first time, new funding awards were made to Kotatsu Japanese Animation Festival and Bangor’s Pontio Arts Centre. Running at Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff between 28th and 30th September, and at Aberystwyth Arts Centre on the 20th and 21st October, the Kotatsu Japanese Animation Festival will help audiences explore the latest and best in Japanese animation with films to suit all ages, as well as workshops and masterclasses with Japanese animators. The funding award will support Kotatsu in continuing to build new audiences, working alongside local community, youth and refugee groups to widen the festival’s reach.

Pontio Arts Centre’s new funding will support their project encouraging the community in Bangor to make the most of their local independent cinema. Their initiatives include providing more Welsh-language cinema, community interaction through volunteering, creating access for families with children with additional needs, and continuing the venue’s engagement of student and young audiences through film, gaming and interactive content.

In addition to the new awards, Ffilm Cymru continued to invest in three established film festivals to advance their expansion and reach new audiences.

Appropriately for its 13th year, Abertoir Horror Festival will run from 13th November at Aberystwyth Arts Centre, and features a gore-soaked slasher movie theme. Six days of features, shorts, talks and live performances will kick-off with 80s cult classic Sleepaway Camp, and special guest Sean S Cunningham will be in attendance to discuss the creation of his seminal slasher Friday the 13th.

Ffilm Cymru is proud to provide continued support for the Iris Prize LGBT+ film festival. Running between the 9th and 14th October, this year’s edition will include 14 short film programmes, 13 feature films, talks, workshops and a carnival. Their funding award will also support the organisers to reach out from Cardiff and bring the best in LGBT+ cinema to Llandudno with a third tour of ‘Iris on the Move.’

The Wicked Wales Film Festival in Rhyl screens films by young people, for young people. This year’s main festival will run 18th – 21st September and feature a celebration of British animation as part of Film Hub Wales’ Anim18 programme. Wicked Wales also hosts outreach events throughout the year, including pop-up and community cinema screenings in Denbighshire’s rural villages and empty shops, as well as running a year-round community cinema programme in Rhyl. This latest funding from Ffilm Cymru will help their team of young programmers combat child poverty by providing food for young people at pre-screening activities.

Ffilm Cymru also continue to fund the cinema programme for Theatr Clwyd in Mold, which will focus on programming a more diverse range of films, including locally-produced content. The award will additionally support the arts centre in forging stronger links between their theatre and film audiences, and connect with young people through workshops and special screenings.

Part of Ffilm Cymru’s commitment to promoting an inclusive and dynamic film culture, the Audience Access fund is open to cinemas, festivals and other organisations looking to provide pop-up and community cinema screenings for people across Wales.